Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the peak electric power demand for the operation of the planned number of trains per hour for HS2 phases 1, 2A and 2B meeting speeds and performance criteria that comply with the design specification.

baroness sugg: The peak electric power demand for the operation of the planned number of trains per hour for HS2 phases 1, 2A and 2B is shown in the table below. Feeder StationMax 1 minute RMS (MVA)Max 30 minute RMS (MVA)Ickenham149.1131.8Quainton179.1167.1Burton Green176.5157.1Maximum Phase 1.504.7456Newlands (Phase 2A)152.7383.99Hoo Green170.8594.71PH2 B AFTS 1119.4963.3PH2 B AFTS 2137.8369.92PH2 B AFTS 3127.2660.72PH2 B AFTS 4122.2754.99Maximum demand on Phase 2B.677.63343.64  The figures above represent the calculated demand based on a timetable that represents the train service pattern post opening of Phase 2B. The calculation is based on peak service provision during the period 07:00 to 11:00 which is the most power demanding period, ensuring that the traction power system is sized appropriately. Demand is presented as the total 1 minute and 30 minute values at the primary side of the grid supply transformers. It should be noted that the total maximum demand for Phase 1, Phase 2a or Phase 2B does not necessarily equate to the sum of the maximum demand for each of the feeder stations in the ‘Phase’ as the maximum demand at each feeder station doesn’t occur at the same time.

Gatwick Airport: Air Routes

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Civil Aviation Authority are taking to offer to other airlines the easyJet landing slots at Gatwick for the Aberdeen routes being terminated in February.

baroness sugg: Under European Union regulations slot allocation at co-ordinated airports in the UK is managed by a designated slot co-ordinator entirely independently of the UK Government, the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested parties. The Government therefore plays no part in, and is legally prevented from intervening in, the slot allocation process. However, the Government recognises that air connectivity between Scotland and London and the rest of the UK is of the utmost importance. The Government have set a clear expectation that about 15% of slots made available from expansion at Heathrow Airport will be used for domestic flights. As part of this we expect around 100 additional flights per week between Scotland and Heathrow once the new capacity is delivered. The Government also set out a requirement in the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) for Heathrow to work with airlines to strengthen existing routes and deliver new connections.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Airbus

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Airbus concerning prospects for that company post-Brexit.

lord henley: Government is in regular contact with Airbus and other aerospace businesses to discuss their UK operations and future programme opportunities. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for aerospace.

Airbus: Staff

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of employees who work for Airbus in (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) England.

lord henley: The number of those directly employed by Airbus will fluctuate with their programmes, but according to the company they currently employ approximately 7,400 people in Wales, 100 in Scotland and 6,500 in England.

EU Grants and Loans

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the implications of a no-deal Brexit on current recipients of EU Structural Funds.

lord henley: Under the terms of the HM Government funding guarantee, Structural Funds (European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund) projects signed before the UK exits the EU will continue to be funded even in the event of no deal. The guarantee also enables new projects to be signed after exit until 2020 with funding from HM Government. This practical measure ensures that beneficiaries can expect to receive the same amount of funding under the guarantee as they would have received if the UK had remained a Member State. This provides additional certainty to communities, businesses and local partners, guaranteeing investment in regional growth up to the end of the current Structural Funds programme period.

Space Technology: Shetland

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the UK Space Agency, and (2) Shetland Islands Council about the Shetland Space Centre's proposal to locate the UK's first spaceport in Unst; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

lord henley: The Government’s Spaceflight Programme will enable British spaceports to unlock a £4bn opportunity to launch small satellites. Several locations around the UK plan to operate a spaceport, which will require a licence under the Space Industry Act 2018. In 2017, officials from the UK Space Agency met with representatives from Shetland Islands Council, alongside the Shetland Space Centre team, to hear about their plans to develop a spaceport in Unst. They agreed to speak again once the spaceport plans were more developed. UK Space Agency officials have subsequently met with the Shetland Space Centre on a number of occasions to hear about progress.

Seeds: Patents

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether EU rulings on the patenting of seeds will apply in the UK after Brexit.

lord henley: Existing EU law relating to the patentability of plants will be retained after we leave the EU by virtue of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018. UK courts may choose to have regard to future EU case law once we leave the EU.

Cars: Manufacturing Industries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK car manufacturing sector remains competitive after Brexit.

lord henley: The UK automotive industry is one of our great success stories. Leaving the EU with a deal that supports the future of British industry remains the government’s top priority. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive. Through our Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are working with industry to put the UK at the forefront of new automotive technologies to ensure the UK remains the destination of choice for future investment decisions.

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reported concerns in the financial sector that uncertainty around Brexit will cause a deterioration in the long-term UK business environment; and whether they will increase their efforts to reassure UK businesses about the impact of Brexit.

lord henley: The Government continues to actively engage with businesses across all sectors of the economy, including the financial sector.We are committed to ensuring that the UK remains a great place to do business. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy is comprised of a range of policies designed to build an economy fit for the future, fostering a competitive environment where businesses have the confidence to invest and thrive. This includes building long term strategic partnerships with businesses through Sector Deals, committing £37bn through the National Productivity Investment Fund by 2023/24, and supporting finance to over 78,000 SMEs through the British Business Bank.The Government is ensuring the latest advice and information on all aspects of leaving the EU reaches businesses. The guidance "Prepare your business for EU Exit" published on GOV.UK takes businesses through a series of 7 questions to help identify the most relevant information for them based on business sector and the types of activity they undertake with the EU.

Bacteriophages

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research is being conducted in the UK into the use of phages as a response to antibiotic resistance.

lord henley: The Government continues to invest in research into new and alternative treatments. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is currently funding 12 projects across three of its councils (BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC) that relate to the use of phages as a response to antibiotic resistance. This represents a commitment of over £6m. Additionally the Department of Health and Social Care and Wellcome sponsored a strategic pipeline briefing into alternatives to antibiotics in 2015. The briefing reviewed the feasibility and potential clinical impact of alternatives to antibiotics, including bacteriophages, and considered approaches that were most likely to deliver new treatments in the next ten years.

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a no-deal Brexit scenario on the UK steelmaking industry.

lord henley: On 28th November 2018 the Government laid before Parliament the document entitled, “EU Exit: Long-term economic analysis” which was intended to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny ahead of the Meaningful Vote on the final deal. The purpose of this analysis was to illustrate high level impacts on the UK from different EU Exit scenarios. It included associated costs for five broad sector groups across the economy, which together cover the majority of the UK economy and all traded goods and services: ○ Manufactured Goods (including Iron & Steel);○ Agri-food;○ Services (Non-Financial and Non-Networks);○ Financial Services;○ Networks; The macroeconomic modelling tools used for this analysis do not allow for disaggregation of results at individual sector level. Extensive engagement has also taken place and is continuing between Government and the steel industry, to better understand the implications of different no-deal scenarios on the sector.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Legislative Reform Orders

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the withdrawal of the draft Legislative Reform (Horserace Betting Levy) Order 2018, they intend to revise the guidance by the Department for Business, Innovation and SkillsLegislative Reform Orders: Guide for Policy Officials, published in May 2016.

lord henley: The current guidance on Legislative Reform Orders (LRO) was published in 2016 and includes comprehensive information on the rules and processes governing the use of LROs. The guidance makes clear that it is the responsibility of the owning Department to scrutinise their proposal against the criteria set out in the Legislation and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 and this scrutiny should be completed with Departmental lawyers. The Government has no plans to issue revised guidance.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: British Nationals Abroad

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of arbitrary arrest facing British citizens who are long-term residents in Egypt.

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there are any current risks facing British tourists in Egypt; and what assessment they have made of whether any such risks have (1) diminished, or (2) grown since 2013.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We keep all of our travel advice, including for Egypt, under constant review to ensure it reflects our assessment of the risk to British nationals. Our travel advice for Egypt was last updated on 17 January.

Egypt: Political Prisoners

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the claim by Human Rights Watch that 60,000 people, including Mostafa el-Naggar, are currently being held in prison on political grounds in Egypt; and whether they have made representations to the government of Egypt about that issue.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of recent reports regarding Mostafa Al-Naggar and are tracking his case. We remain deeply concerned about allegations of enforced disappearance in Egypt. Officials continue to raise these issues and concerns about freedom of expression with the Egyptian authorities both in London and in Cairo. Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK and the UK wants to see more political progress and better protection of human rights for all Egyptians, as set out in Egypt's Constitution. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised concerns over freedom of expression with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his visit to Cairo on 14 October.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain about the decision of the Bahraini High Court of Appeal to uphold the death sentences of political prisoners Ahmed Almalali and Ali Alarab.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the cases of Mr Almalali and Mr Alarab and have raised their cases at a senior level within the Government of Bahrain.The UK's position on the use of the death penalty is longstanding and clear; we oppose its use in all circumstances and countries. The Government of Bahrain are fully aware of our position.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Services: Children

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS dental practices are actively involved in the oral health Starting Well Core initiative.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children who have visited an NHS dentist who would not have otherwise accessed NHS dental services as a result of the Starting Well Core initiative.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much additional funding has been committed to the oral health Starting Well Core initiative.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been spent on (1) developing, and (2) distributing to dental practices, posters, leaflets and other resources as part of the Starting Well Core initiative.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the oral health Starting Well Core initiative involved commissioning any additional NHS dentistry capacity.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Starting Well Core initiative in getting hard-to-reach children to attend NHS dental services for the first time.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The ‘Starting Well’ programme, was developed to reach out to families with young children in 13 high need areas who were not under the care of a dentist. The first schemes began in spring 2018.Alongside this, NHS England has developed a complementary ‘Starting Well Core’ offer, supported by the Chief Dental Officer, which commissioners can use and fund locally based on their own assessment of need. This enables areas not involved in the original scheme to commission and fund similar approaches based on their assessment of local needs. ‘Starting Well Core’ is in its initial roll-out phase. Information on the number of practices involved will be made available centrally in due course as the scheme is taken up. NHS England advises that the areas adopting this scheme include London, West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire, Cheshire and Merseyside and Greater Manchester.NHS England advises that central costs for this scheme have focussed on developing resources, including patient information, for local commissioners who wish to use the ‘Starting Well Core’ approach. NHS England advises that to date the central spend is estimated at around £212,000. Information is not held centrally on any additional local funding directed to this scheme, including funding to increase dental capacity through this scheme. As the scheme is still being rolled out, it is, therefore, too early to assess its impact on attracting children to National Health Service dental services for the first time and no estimate has been made of the number of children who have visited an NHS dentist because of the Starting Well Core scheme, who would not have otherwise accessed NHS dental services.

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 1 October 2018 (HL10396), what was the breakdown by gender of gambling addiction-related hospital admissions in each of the last five years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Digital’s Hospital Episode Statistics collects the volume of finished admissions episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of pathological/compulsive gambling and volumes for the last five years, broken down by gender is shown in the following table.YearMaleFemale2013-1454112014-1579102015-1670162016-1757152017-189215Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS DigitalNotes:A FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes.Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

Meningitis: Vaccination

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the use of social media to increase immunisation rates against meningitis for those aged between 15 and 25.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Over the past three years, to increase immunisation rates for the meningitis vaccine uptake, Public Health England (PHE) has paid for a targeted social media campaign. The campaign was aimed at school leavers through social media posts, case studies and video. This campaign also included resources and messaging which targeted parents as a key driver of health behaviour.Widespread coverage by the media has helped to encourage vaccination in this age group. This included alerting school leavers to get their vaccine before going to university through national media, student publications, targeting festivals and summer travel where we know infections such as these can spread more easily. This activity also targeted parents.PHE also worked with three social media influencers who target this age group to generate ‘back to University’ vlog posts in which they highlighted the importance of vaccination.

Cancer: Screening

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce national funding for cancer genomic testing in England; and if so, when.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project and existing genetic services, NHS England announced in October 2018 that over the next 18 months work to mobilise the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) would get underway. The aims of the GMS are to:- Provide consistent and equitable care for the country’s 55 million population;- Operate to common national standards, specifications and protocols;- Deliver to a single national genomic testing directory – covering use of all technologies from single gene to whole genome sequencing initially for rare disease and cancer;- Give all patients the opportunity to participate in research, for individual benefit and to inform future care; and- Build a national genomic knowledge base to provide real world data to inform.Through the GMS, NHS England will be exploring how to ensure that the funding flows for cancer support equity of access to testing across the country.

Cancer: Screening

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for patient access to treatment for those continuing to rely on the National Tariff Payment System to fund cancer genomic tests under the Genomic Medicine Service in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Funding for cancer genomic testing is included under the National Tariff Payment System, excluding whole genome sequencing which NHS England is funding nationally, and is included within the healthcare resource group tariff payment for an individual patient. For example, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) testing for lung cancer, along with oestrogen (positive/negative progesterone) receptor status and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) testing for breast cancer have been established tests within the National Health Service for a number of years.Cancer genomic testing will continue to be funded by the National Tariff Payment System and the National Genomic Test Directory outlines the cancer genomic tests which will be delivered by the NHS in England.

Cancer: Screening

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, or plan to take, to mitigate the possibility of variation in patient access to cancer genomic testing in England resulting from Clinical Commissioning Group decision-making.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2016: Generation Genome, made clear that in order to achieve equitable access to genomic testing the National Health Service will need to implement a first-class genomic medicine service that is scalable, future proof and delivers value for money. The report also noted the work undertaken as part of the 100,000 Genomes Project. A copy of the report is attached.Therefore, NHS England announced in October 2018 that over the next 18 months work to mobilise the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) would get underway. The aims of the GMS are to:- Provide consistent and equitable care for the country’s 55 million population;- Operate to common national standards, specifications and protocols;- Deliver to a single national genomic testing directory – covering use of all technologies from single gene to whole genome sequencing initially for rare disease and cancer;- Give all patients the opportunity to participate in research (for individual benefit and to inform future care); and- Build a national genomic knowledge base to provide real world data to inform.A key element of the GMS is the National Genomic Test Directory which outlines the entire repertoire of genomic tests for cancer and rare and inherited disease – from Whole Genomic Sequencing to panel tests, to tests for single genes and molecular markers – that are available as part of the NHS clinical service in England.The NHS GMS will be supported by an informatics system, that is being developed in partnership with Genomics England. When fully operational the National Genomics Informatics Service will enable NHS England to monitor the number of genomic tests being carried out across the country and benchmark activity.



CMO Annual Report 2016 Generation Genome
(PDF Document, 11.46 MB)

Department for International Development

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan about employment discrimination, with particular regard to advertisements published by that government which reserve low level jobs, such as street sweeping, for religious minorities; whether UK aid supports employment opportunities in the public sector closed to religious minorities; and whether they support programmes which helpilliterate members of religious minorities in that country to improve their employment prospects.

lord bates: Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of their commitment to our Partnership Principles, including to promote and safeguard human rights. Our development assistance targets the poor, regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. We promote the Partnership Principles in our dealings with the Pakistan Government, and this extends to economic development and employment. The Partnership Principles Assessment (PPA) is regularly discussed with the Economic Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan, at the federal level and we discussed it formally last year at the Bilateral Assistance Talks in March. We also have specific programmes to help the poorest become more equipped for work. DFID Pakistan’s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects.   DFID and the FCO continue to raise the issue of human rights of minorities at the highest levels of Government, including in our annual Bilateral Assistance Talks, advocating greater tolerance and action against abuses when they occur.

Developing Countries: Abortion

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatmethods they use to measure how many unsafe abortions have been averted through the programmes that they fund internationally.

lord bates: DFID uses modelling to estimate the number of unsafe abortions prevented by some programming. It is possible to model, for illustrative purposes, the number of abortions prevented by improved access to family planning specifically. Between April 2017 and March 2018, we estimate UK aid reached at least 14 million women and girls with family planning services, preventing an estimated 1.2 million unsafe abortions.   Our methodology is explained in the first footnote to the Family Planning page at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-results-sector-pages-2017-to-2018-single-department-plan 



Family Planning - results by sector
(PDF Document, 423.94 KB)

Developing Countries: Abortion

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many safe abortions they provided funding for through the Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy project.

lord bates: The Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy programme aimed to help women and girls avoid recourse to unsafe abortion and to increase access to voluntary family planning.   The programme supported integrated sexual and reproductive health services designed around women’s needs, for example providing a woman with holistic care for HIV, counselling, post-abortion care and information on family planning. Because these services are integrated, it is not possible to disaggregate figures solely relating to safe abortion procedures.   Modelling estimates are that the project helped to avert 7.1 million unsafe abortions through such approaches over the lifetime of the programme. This is the estimated impact of holistic approaches including contraception, information and provision of safe alternatives; all of which help women avoid having to go through the trauma and life-threatening health risks of unsafe abortions.

Developing Countries: Abortion

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unsafe abortionswere avoided as a result of the Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy project, which came to an end in June 2018.

lord bates: Modelling estimates indicate that the Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy project helped to avert approximately 7.1 million unsafe abortions through integrated sexual and reproductive health services over the lifetime of the programme.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £225 million in funding per annum the Department for International Development committed to spend on family planning from 2017 until 2021 they estimate (1) has been, and (2) will be, spent on (a) the provision of contraceptives, (b) the provision of safe abortions, and (c) the training of health personnel to conduct safe abortions.

lord bates: In 2012 the UK committed to spend an average of £180m a year on family planning (FP) to 2020. This commitment then increased to £225m per year after the 2017 Family Planning Summit. Since 2012, using internationally agreed methodology to capture spending on family planning, we have spent an average of £184 million each year on family planning programmes between 2012/13 – 2016/17. We take an integrated approach to family planning and the training of health workers, covering a range of services, and therefore it is not possible to disaggregate spend on specific elements such as safe abortion provision.

Department for Education

Arts: Primary Education

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 17 January (HL Deb, col 322), what their evidence base is for the assertion that “in primary schools, broadly the same amount of time is spent teaching arts as is spent teaching history and geography”.

lord agnew of oulton: At primary school level, data from the Omnibus Survey in 2017 reveals that the average amount of time spent teaching music and art and design is broadly similar to the amount of time spent teaching history and geography. Data from the Omnibus Survey 2017 can be found in the table below. The survey is also attached for information.Approximately how many minutes of teaching time do you spend in the average week on the following curriculum subjects? All Key Stages Summary tableMinutes spent on curriculum subject-specific lessonsSubjectMedianEnglish300Maths300Physical Education90Science60Computing45Art and Design30History30Music30Geography30Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE)30Design and Technology30Languages20N=469This question has been filtered to a subset of respondents.Source: Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey May 2016 and Senior Leader booster June 2016.



HL13209_Teacher_Voice_Omnibus_2017_Report
(PDF Document, 1007.92 KB)

Primary Education

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hours per week foundation subjects have been taught in primary schools in each year since 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally.Some information, however, is available in the Omnibus Survey, 2017. This showed that at primary school level, the amount of time spent teaching arts subjects is broadly similar to those spent teaching history and geography. The figures from the Omnibus Survey, 2017, are shown in the table below, and the full report is attached.Approximately how many minutes of teaching time do you spend in the average week on the following curriculum subjects? All Key Stages Summary tableMinutes spent on curriculum subject-specific lessonsSubjectMedianEnglish300Maths300Physical Education90Science60Computing45Art and Design30History30Music30Geography30Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE)30Design and Technology30Languages20N=469This question has been filtered to a subset of respondents.Source: Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey May 2016 and Senior Leader booster June 2016. 



HL13210_Teacher_Voice_Omnibus_2017_Report
(PDF Document, 1007.92 KB)

Teachers

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many publicly funded schools have had specialist teachers for (1) music, (2) drama, (3) art, and (4) mathematics in each year since 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally.National information on the number of subject teachers in state funded secondary schools is available in the publication, ‘School Workforce in England, 2017’. Information on the percentage of these who are classed as specialist teachers is shown is also available in the same publication. The publication is attached and available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017.A specialist teacher is defined as one who holds a relevant post A level qualification in a subject relevant to the subject taught.



HL13211_School_Workforce_In_England_November_2017
(PDF Document, 843.24 KB)

Teachers: Training

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 17 January (HL Deb, col 321) which stated that they “clearly need to prioritise our bursaries budget so that we can incentivise applications in subjects where it is hardest to attract applicants”, on what evidence they based their decision to offer initial teacher training bursaries for music but not for art and design.

lord agnew of oulton: Recruitment to art and design teacher training courses has consistently exceeded recruitment to music courses in recent years. Despite the absence of a bursary, recruitment to art and design courses starting in 2018/19 increased from the previous year. For these reasons, and because resources are limited, we consider it appropriate to continue to provide bursaries for music and not for art and design.Art and design trainee teachers are able to access student finance for their teacher training course. In addition to the tuition fee loan, a maintenance loan of up to £11,354 is available to support living costs incurred while training.

Alternative Education: Inspections

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ofsted inspects unregistered and independent alternative education providers.

lord agnew of oulton: Ofsted inspects all new schools who apply to register as an independent school, which would include independent alternative education providers if they met the criteria to register as an independent school. Once registered, schools are inspected by Ofsted within the first year of operation and thereafter on a regular cycle by Ofsted or by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, who are a body approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. Ofsted also has powers to inspect any setting without notice if it has reasonable cause to believe that an unregistered independent school is being conducted.

Al-Hijrah School Birmingham

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that Al-Hijrah school in Birmingham complies with the Court of Appeal ruling on 7 November 2017, which found that the school's segregation policy was unlawful.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is taking action so that pupils at Al Hijrah are prepared for life in modern Britain. We are committed to ensuring that the pupils succeed in their personal development as well as their academic development. Al Hijrah is currently a school that caters for pupils aged 4 to 16. The local authority has now re-designated Al Hijrah into a primary school, which will operate from a new school site from 1 September 2019. Following this re-designation, the Regional Schools Commissioner for West Midlands approved an application for the newly designated primary school to become an academy sponsored by Star Academies Trust. A new provision for secondary girls will also be available through a single sex free school on a new site. A decision on the free school is expected to be made by the end of February 2019.Secondary boys currently attending Al Hijrah will be able to attend other local schools from September 2019.

Schools: Discrimination

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools Ofsted has reported to them as operating a segregation policy; and what action has been taken as a result of any such reports.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools in England treat girls differently to boys in terms of (1) common room access, (2) playground activities, (3) eating arrangements, and (4) any other activities in the school but outside the classroom.

lord agnew of oulton: In June 2018 the department published the attached guidance ‘Gender separation in mixed schools’, to support schools in complying with the law on this matter. Such separation is permissible when in accordance with exemptions under the Equality Act 2010 – for instance those related to the correction of educational disadvantage or the needs of different sexes, provision for competitive sports, or is insignificant enough to be regarded as de minimis. Ofsted began systematically reporting on pupil segregation matters from September 2018 and has drawn attention to this in several inspection reports published since that date. The exact number of schools reported by Ofsted could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The department is taking action in relation to each school where this has occurred, by seeking details of the school’s plans to eliminate segregation or making organisational changes to the school and setting out the approvals process which has to be followed. The department is also in touch with a number of schools thought to operate segregation for pupils to discuss their plans, and has liaised with representative bodies for the schools involved. Information regarding how many schools in England treat girls differently to boys in terms of (1) common room access, (2) playground activities, (3) eating arrangements, and (4) any other activities in the school but outside the classroom, is not held centrally.



HL13344_HL13345_Gender_Separation_in_Mixed_Schools
(PDF Document, 221.57 KB)

Alternative Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 30 January (HL13032), whether they intend to publish a list of alternative provision educational institutions; and whether those institutions will be subject to inspection.

lord agnew of oulton: Information on registered alternative provision (AP) providers is publicly available on the department’s register of schools and colleges in England ‘Get information about schools’, which can be accessed using the online tool available here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.An AP educational institution should be registered as a school if it provides full-time education to 5 or more full-time pupils of compulsory school age, or one such pupil who is looked-after by the local authority or has a statement of special educational need or an education, health and care plan.Pupil referral units, AP academies, AP free schools, further education colleges offering AP, and registered independent providers are subject to inspection (either by Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate). While Ofsted does not directly inspect unregistered settings, inspectors are expected to consider the progress of pupils who attend off-site AP as part of school and college inspections. In all cases the local authority or school acting as the commissioner should assure themselves that the setting is registered where appropriate and provision is delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates: Wales

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many magistrates there were in Wales in (1) 2010, and (2) 2018.

lord keen of elie: The number of magistrates in Wales in 2010 were 1,879 and in 2018 were 1,130. Published data can be found here https://www.judiciary.uk/publication-type/statistics/.

Treasury

Banks

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impacton the banking industry of jobs being moved out of the UK due to Brexit uncertainty.

lord bates: The Treasury is in frequent contact with firms and regulators regarding their contingency planning for EU exit. Over time there has been a gradual reduction in the number of jobs expected to move to the EU for “day one” at the end of March 2019. Sam Woods, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England said in July that just under 5,000 financial services jobs are likely to move by “day one”.Further job movements will depend on factors including the actions of European regulators, market conditions, and of course, the structure of the future relationship with the EU which will be based on the Political Declaration and negotiated during the implementation period.We remain committed to preserving our competitive position in financial services after the UK has left the European Union and leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. An Implementation Period is the most effective approach to ensuring a smooth and orderly exit from the EU. That is why it is so important that we redouble our efforts to reach a negotiated deal that Parliament can support.The Government’s long-term economic analysis of EU exit, published in November 2018, sets out the impact of the UK’s White Paper position on the financial services sector.

Investment

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reassure investors following warnings of challenging market conditions due to Brexit uncertainty.

lord bates: The Government has been clear that the best way to ensure certainty for all in the UK, including investors, is to leave the EU with a deal. The Government’s analysis illustrated that the spectrum of outcomes for the future UK-EU relationship in the Political Declaration would deliver significantly higher economic output than the no deal scenario. This is why the Prime Minister is now seeking legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with MP’s concerns. While the Government is taking responsible steps to prepare for all scenarios, including ‘no deal’, we are confident we can secure a majority in Parliament for leaving the EU with a deal.

Tobacco: Smuggling

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the sale of illegal cigarettes and to address the estimated cost to the UK economy of more than £2 billion a year in unpaid tobacco duty.

lord bates: The joint HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)/Border Force anti-illicit tobacco strategy (‘Tackling Illicit Tobacco: From leaf to light’, published on 24 March 2015) reinforced the government’s commitment to tackling illicit tobacco throughout the supply chain to prevent its sale in the UK. At Summer Budget 2015 and Budget 2016, the government announced increased investment to fight this fraud. This commitment was further demonstrated at Budget 2018 when the government announced its support for creation of a UK-wide Anti-Illicit Trade Group as recommended in an All Party Parliamentary Group report. Effective action requires collaboration across government and HMRC and Border Force work closely with other enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards and the police, to target those involved and maximise the use of sanctions available. In the last two years alone, over 2.8 billion illicit cigarettes and nearly 640 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco have been seized resulting in over 700 prosecutions. HMRC continues to introduce policies to address new threats. In 2017 it introduced the Raw Tobacco Approval Scheme and, in 2018, the Tobacco Products Manufacturing Machinery Licensing Scheme to help tackle illegal manufacturing of tobacco products in the UK. This year, HMRC will implement a new tobacco track and trace system, making it easier to identify where genuine product has been diverted into the illicit market and harder for illicit goods to enter the legitimate market.

Banks: Cybercrime

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help encourage banks to boost their cybersecurity in order to protect customers from online fraud.

lord bates: The Financial Authorities (HM Treasury, the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority, and the Financial Conduct Authority) work together to assess, test and improve the operational resilience, including cyber resilience, of the UK financial sector. The financial sector also benefits from a dedicated team within the National Cyber Security Centre, who work closely with the Financial Authorities, and law enforcement where appropriate. In July 2018, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority published a joint Discussion Paper on an approach to improve the operational resilience, including cyber resilience, of firms and financial market infrastructures. The Financial Authorities have a single mechanism, the Authorities Response Framework, to coordinate a response to incidents affecting the finance sector. The Financial Authorities regularly exercise cyber incident response frameworks with the sector to assess their effectiveness and identify improvements. The Bank of England held a sector resilience exercise (SIMEX18) in November 2018 which tested the joint response by public authorities and industry to a simulated disruption. It has also been made easier for customers to report fraud or cybercrime to law enforcement. Action Fraud is the UK’s reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, providing a central point of contact for information about fraud and financially motivated internet crime.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Business Improvement Districts

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the effectiveness of Business Improvement Districts.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is committed to supporting Business Improvement Districts, as they remain an important part of our high street and town centre agenda.In 2014, the Department undertook a review of Business Improvement Districts to see what further powers could be made available to Business Improvement Districts to help shape the future of town centres.This resulted in adding Business Improvement Districts to the list of relevant bodies that can challenge to run local authority services under the Right to Challenge and increasing the involvement of Business Improvement Districts in planning, by encouraging a bespoke approach to consultation.The Department regularly engages with emerging evidence on the effectiveness of Business Improvement Districts, including studies and reports produced by the sector bodies such as the sector body British BID’s annual National BID Survey, most recently published in November 2018.

Local Government: Staff

baroness humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the employment and qualification requirements for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks.

baroness humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance, if any, they provide to town councils on minimum accountancy qualifications for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks.

baroness humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the available training opportunities for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks; and the bodies which monitor the professional standards of these courses.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: All local government employment matters – including for town and parish councils - are devolved. Such issues rightly remain with local authority elected representatives in conjunction with staff representatives, taking into account what they can afford.Government has made no assessments in relation to the employment, qualifications or training opportunities available for town clerks, nor provided any general guidance on such matters.However, where the town or parish council wishes to exercise the general power of competence, the clerk must possess the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to ensure that the council is provided with appropriate advice in taking on the enhanced role that the general power of competence enables.Therefore, in 2012 the Department made regulations setting out the conditions that parish councils would need to fulfil to exercise this power. These included certain educational and training requirements for the clerk. The details are set out in The Parish Councils (General Power of Competence) (Prescribed Conditions) Order 2012 (SI number 965 and explanatory memorandum. Link below:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/965/pdfs/uksi_20120965_en.pdf.With the support of the Department, the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), in association with the National Association of Local Councils, developed the general power training modules that clerks must complete to meet the conditions.For Community council clerks in Wales, the position on all these matters would be for the Welsh government to answer.

Ministry of Defence

Gulf War Syndrome

lord tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe report by the United States' National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineGulf War and Health: Volume 11: Generational Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, published on 28 November 2018; andwhat steps they are taking to assess the implications of that report into the long-term effects of Gulf War syndrome on veterans and their families.

earl howe: The UK Government's strategy on research topics and studies into the health of Gulf War veterans has been informed and overseen by independent scientific experts nominated by the Medical Research Council, taking account of published peer-reviewed international literature and international studies. We have no plans to undertake further research on Gulf War issues, however, we continue to monitor any Gulf War research that is published around the world.The overwhelming evidence from scientific research shows no adverse health effects. In line with contemporary medical and scientific understanding from the mid-1990s onwards, no distinct disease process or pathology associated with Gulf illness has been identified. However, we do recognise that some veterans of the 1990/91 Gulf Conflict are ill and that some of this ill health is related to their Gulf service.In such cases, compensation may be claimed under the War Pensions Scheme with appropriate medical care provided by the National Health Service across the UK.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Housing

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to acknowledge and take account of 53 week rent yearsfor recipients of Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: No year contains 53 weeks. This perceived issue arises where a landlord charges rent weekly on a Monday and, because of the way the calendar falls every 5 or 6 years, seeks 53 rent payments in a year, with the 53rd payment in part covering the tenancy for the first few days of the following year.Universal Credit is paid on a monthly cycle. Where a tenant has a weekly rental liability, they will have to make either 4 or 5 rent payments in any one month. This means that claimants are ‘overpaid’ by UC in months where they have to make four rental payments and ‘underpaid’ where they make five. But over time this broadly balances itself out. It is impossible to accurately align weekly and monthly payment cycles at all points in time. Where a tenant makes a 53rd weekly rent payment on the last Monday of the 2019/20 year, only two days of that payment relates to a liability falling within that year (ie payment covering Monday and Tuesday of that week as Wednesday falls in the new year). Thus, five days of that payment is an advance payment for the following month and that month has only four Mondays and hence four rent payments. The combination of the advance rent payment and the ‘overpayment’ in April 2020 means that the shortfall is immediately recovered. There is a separate issue with respect to the way the calculation in the Universal Credit regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) are not covered by UC. We are currently considering whether this formulation around weekly rents, and potentially other weekly amounts in the UC calculation, should be amended.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 7 January (HL12466), with which non-EU countries the UK have entered negotiations to introduce reciprocal arrangements regarding annual increases in the state pension.

baroness buscombe: The UK is not currently in negotiations with any non-EU country concerning new arrangements to introduce annual increases in State Pension.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time for Personal Independence Payment appeals to be heard in England.

baroness buscombe: Information on the average waiting time to a first tribunal hearing is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Justice publish statistics on the average (mean) age of a case at disposal. In the period July to September 2018 the mean age at disposal for Personal Independence Payment appeals in Great Britain was 30 weeks. This is the average number of weeks from receipt in Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to the final outcome within the period. It will include cases cleared at hearing and cases cleared without a hearing which include strike outs, superseded and withdrawals prior to a hearing. An appeal may not necessarily be cleared at its first hearing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Poultry Meat: Overseas Trade

lord selkirk of douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) support the UK poultry meat industry in key trade developments, and (2) ensure that future poultry meat imports meet Britain's welfare and production standards.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is determined to get the best deal for the UK in our negotiations to leave the EU, including for our world-leading poultry sector. Significant work is already underway to ensure that UK exporters can maintain access to EU markets after March 2019. The Government is seeking continuity for our existing EU free trade agreements as we leave the European Union. The Government is also actively working with trading partners to promote the concept of regionalisation to minimise the impact on UK exports due to any future outbreak of avian influenza in poultry. The UK imports a wide range of produce from around the world, all of which already meet our high standards of food safety and animal and plant health. We have no reason to believe that other third countries cannot meet our high standards, and this will be a condition for any market access granted as part of future trade agreements. Any future trade agreements must work for UK consumers, farmers, and businesses.

Home Office

Breast Ironing

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 22 March 2016 (HC Deb, col 1552) which stated that they were "absolutely committed to putting a stop to" the practice of breast ironing in the UK, what progress they have made in regard to that issue; and what further steps they intend to take to stop that practice.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing legislation to ban the practice of breast ironing.

baroness williams of trafford: Breast ironing is child abuse and it is illegal. The Government is committed to challenging the cultural attitudes that underpin so called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA), as set out in our cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. No one should suffer because of who they are or which community they are born into.In addition, the following documents provide advice and support for professionals in respect of safeguarding children from abuse, including HBA:• Keeping Children Safe in Education (p.80-82): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2• Working Together to Safeguard Children: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2 • CPS Legal Guidance on Honour-Based Violence and Forced Marriage:https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/honour-based-violence-and-forced-marriageBorder Force officers at UK ports and airports are trained to look for those at risk of HBA. Border Force conducts regular joint operations (‘Operation Limelight’) with the police at airports across the country to raise awareness with potential victims of HBA, including breast ironing.While there is no specific offence of breast ironing, the police have a range of other offences at their disposal to deal with any cases they encounter. This includes offences of common assault, actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm. There are also specific offences of child cruelty and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.



Working Together to Safeguard Children 
(PDF Document, 1.73 MB)




Keeping Children Safe in Education 
(PDF Document, 1.29 MB)

Parliament: Demonstrations

lord palmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average daily policing costs for the demonstrators on and around College Green and Old Palace Yard.

baroness williams of trafford: We are clear that the public have the right to peaceful protest, and that police forces should make reasonable contingencies within their budgets to cover the cost of these and other unexpected events in their area. Police and Crime Commissioners have the option to apply for funding through the Police Special Grant to assist with the cost of any significant events which might otherwise threaten the financial stability of the police force.However, we also acknowledge that there are additional demands in policing the national capital and centre of Government and provide the Metropolitan Police with additional funding called the National and International Capital City (NICC) Grant to help cover those costs. For 2019/20, the NICC Grant will increase to £185m.We are providing a significant police funding settlement in 2019/20 that provides the biggest increase in police funding since 2010, with more money for local police forces, counter terrorism and tackling serious and organised crime. If the Mayor of London raises council tax precept by the maximum permitted then funding to the Metropolitan Police Service in 2019/20 will increase by £172m.

Public Buildings: Fire Regulations

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 4 January (HL12418), whether they will now answer the question asked, namely, what estimate they have made of the proportion of publicly-owned buildings to which the public have access which have an in-date Fire Certificate on display; and what steps they plan to take to improve compliance with the requirement to display such certificates.

baroness williams of trafford: The Fire Precautions Act 1971 required fire certificates in certain, not all, buildings to which the public have access. This was repealed with the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which came into force in October 2006 and is still extant. The current legislation does not require fire certificates to be issued by the fire and rescue authority, but does now cover all non-domestic premises.The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the person responsible for the premises (usually the employer, owner, managing agent or landlord) to carry out and review regularly a fire risk assessment of the premises. The current legislation also requires the person responsible of the premises to put in place and maintain adequate and appropriate fire precautions to mitigate against the risk of fire. Fire and rescue authorities are required by the Fire and Rescue National Framework to have in place a risk-based inspection programme for auditing compliance with the legislation in their area. If they believe the fire safety measures in place in a particular premises are not adequate, they can take enforcement action.

Northern Ireland Office

Political Parties: Northern Ireland

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government when details of donations and loans made to political parties in Northern Ireland after January 2014 will be published.

lord duncan of springbank: The Transparency of Donations and Loans etc. (Northern Ireland Political Parties) Order 2018 introduced transparency around donations and loans to political parties in Northern Ireland from July 2017. The date set in the legislation for introduction of the transparency regime followed a consultation process and represented a broad consensus across the Northern Ireland political parties. The Government has no plans in place to legislate to facilitate the publication of pre-2017 data. We are committed to undertaking an operational review to consider all aspects of the operation of the donation and loans systems in Northern Ireland, to review whether there might be a case for further reforms.

Department for International Trade

Exports: Egypt

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of materials and software exported to the Egyptian police and internal security forces by the UK.

baroness fairhead: For items that require an export licence, the Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) detailing licences granted and refused for exports on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data Export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all prevailing circumstances at the time of the application. For materials and software that are not controlled we do not hold records of the amounts exported specifically to the Egyptian police and internal security forces.

Arms Trade

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of potential trading opportunitiesin the defence sector with non-European countries after Brexit.

baroness fairhead: The Department for International Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation (DIT DSO) regularly pursues export and investment opportunities in the defence sector with non-European countries as part of its role helping the UK defence and security industries to export and will continue to do so after Brexit. On a rolling 10-year basis, the UK remains the second largest global defence exporter. In 2017, the UK won defence orders worth £9 billion. The UK share of the global defence export market was estimated at 12% in 2017. Recent success in defence contracts won, such as Australia’s selection of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship for its Future Frigates programme, highlight the UK’s world-leading ability to deliver cutting edge capability whilst supporting thousands of jobs and contributing to national prosperity. The UK will continue to be one of the most successful defence and security exporting countries backed by a government that continues to support defence and security exports but rightly has one of the most robust export licensing regimes. In 2019 the UK will again host Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) to support this success.

Overseas Trade: Ghana

lord chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they (1) have given, and (2) plan to give to Ghana that its current duty free and quota free access to UK markets for agricultural products will continue until 1 January 2021 regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations; and whether there are any other such countries to which similar assurances (a) have been, and (b) will be made.

baroness fairhead: As the UK leaves the EU, we seek to replicate the effects of seven EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, including with Ghana. We are working with partners to conclude and implement agreements from 29 March 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter in the event of a “no deal” exit.